Railway signal device



C. J. MILLER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 921.

1 942% Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. .I. MILLER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION man .IAN.3. 1921..

1,42%,509 Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. J. MILLER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3.1921.

1A24 509 Patented. Aug. 1, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

c. 1'. MILLER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.3, I921.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR 0.1. MILLER. RA|LWAY SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.3.1921.

1 24c,509, Patented Aug. 1,1922.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

Q STATIONQSlGNALQin Q units rate CHARLES J. MILLER, OF MOSELLE,MISSISSIPPI.

Specification of LettersPatcnt.

RAILWAY SIGN-AL DEV'IGE.

Patented Angl, 192%.

Application filed January 3, 1921. Serial No. 434,671.

.T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHA Lns J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moselle, in the county of Jones and State of Mississippi,have invented new and useful Improvements inRa'ilway Signal Devices, .ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to railway signallingdevices, and itcontemplates the provision of an automatic signalling arrangementwhereby the engineer may read ily determine the various positions of thesemaphore arms that are used in connection with railway operation andthis irrespective of the weather conditions that prevail.

The invention further contemplates a device of the character set forthwhereby in foggy weather the engineer will be automatically signaled asto his whereabouts and at the same time signaled as to whether he shouldproceed with or without caution. and hence when a train and railway areequipped with my novel invention, the movement of a train may be carriedon with safety and as expeditiously as in clear weather.

Other characteristic features of my in vention will be readilyunderstood from the following description and claim when the positionpreparatory to engagement of the valve lever of the engine.

Figure .4: is a view similar to-Figure 3 but showing the auxiliarytension rail in its inoperative position.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the auxiliary tension rail and trip asproperly posit-ioned with respect to the rails.

F igure'o is a view taken in section of my novel ,tri-p valve.

."Figure .7 is a rear elevation'of the valve.

Figure .8 is a detail view of shoe that is applied to the pilot of theengine to prevent v on initial passage of theinjury to the trip p'ilotover the trip.

Figured isa detail view of one of the rollers 53 and showing thearrangement of the projections 56 thereof.

Figure 9 isa front elevation of the indicator that is properly arrangedin the cab of the engine to apprise theengineer of his position on theroad. i

an with thecasing removed in order to illustrate its work ng elements.

Figure 11 is a view showing a portion of the casing of the indicatorbroken away in order to disclose the arrangement of the tapes andstat-ion or signalplates and the mechanism on which ,the plates andtapes move.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theviews of the drawings.

Before entering into a detailed disclosure of the invention I deem itexpedient'to state that in order to maintain operation of railway trainsat .the maximum of safety, it is highly important that the engineer befully aware as to whether the signals are clear or not and also hisexact position on the road. During clear weatherthe indication andpositions of the signals regarding danger or .clear conditions may be"readily seen but in foggy weather the indications and positions of thesignals is more or less guess work on the part of the'engineer. devicenot only positively indicates'the warnings of the visual signals in allkinds of weather, but doubly assures the engine crew by means of mynovel ca'b indicator.

The rail 1 and the ties 2 are of the ordinary well "known construction,and on the inside of one rail, I secure a trip outrigger 4- by means ofa plate" member 3. This trigger 4 is .of the construction illustratedand is fulcrumed to the track as indicated by :3 and the trigger isfurther provided at one end with an eye 6, to which is secured a weight7 that works a casing 8. At its opposite end the trip is divided in away tofform a forked portion 9 to guide and work in conjunction with mytension rail '10 at point 11 asshown in Figures 3, at and 5.

The rail 10 may be of any length or'construction compatilble withitspurpose, and it will be noted that vonejai'l securing lever Figure 10 isa side elevation of the indi- 12 is of U-shaped form and is fulcrumed at13 to the track and at 1 1 to the auxiliary rail 10. Manifestly thisconstruction permits of upward and downward movement of rail withrespect to the stationary traclr rail 1.

The ti -shaped link 12 isprovided with an eye at 16 to receive a cablethat passes under a sheave 17 in the countersunk casing ,18'.itsopposite end the cable by preference is secured to the signal'panelof the ordinary construction used in conjunction with railroadsignalling,

Assisting the link 12 in its otlice of supportingthe rail 10 is aU-shaped link 19 that in turn is fulcrumed at 2 0 to the track I andalso to theauxiliary rail. 10 at 21 The This weig adjacent the rail 10.To assist. in the support of the rail 10 I provide equi-distant link 19is secured to a'weight 22 at point nt 22 operates in, a casing 24 armsor .levers25 .andYwhen, expedient tho "well known guard rail 26 may beemployed underside 01 between. the fra1ls1and 10 to care for the lateralmovement of the train wheels.

elements of iny invention, I provide on the the pilot 28 of the engine ashoe 1 ,27 which permits the smoothpassage'of. the

pilot (the lowest portion of a. tr'ain with respect to the ground)overthe trip 1 and rail 10,

Thisprecautionof providing a shoe 27 is due to the factthat actuation ofthesprings of the. eng ne caused by various levels of the track. 1-would bring about contact of the. pilot and raillO and consequent injuryto the device.

It will be seen that I provide on the well known arch bar; of the tendera-loar 30 and thislbar extends across .the tender to the side oppositetothat shown in Figure 1. ,To this bar I secure a valve 31 thatcomniunicates withthe main air signal pipe 32 by means of a short lengthflexible hose 33.

'Tlie connection' ofashorthose33 and pipe closediposition. L L Asclearly shown In 32 is theusual one ofa T coupling 34, [Thisconstruction; permits the compressed air in pipe 32 to enter a chamber(Fig. 6). and

hence the valve port 36 is held in a normally I comprises the twoboltedv sections secured to 'eachother at 37, and provided. hangers 38that-are bolted to'the valve. In their lower ends the hangers receive a.2 bolt; 39that in turn acts as a fulcrum point for a depending arm 40..This arm is retained in its inoperative position by a spring clip,11thatvretains the arm #10 incontact :with avalve 42 at the point 4:3thereof.

,The, valve 42 is provided with :the curved lower. portion asillustrated and at its lower end the v arm 10 is provided with a contactroller as (Figs. 6 and 7) that assures smooth by movement this a furtherprotection to, the operatingthe tension spring 66.

Figure 7 the with the I operation'of thevalve e2 upon contact with therail 10. lVhen the valve 41-2 is moved upwardly by arm :0 the valve 36wlll be unseated and this will compress a spring i5 that abuts againstthe piston of valve 36 and is arranged in. the valve casing 31. Uponupward movement of the valve 36 compressed air in chamber 35 enters thechamber 16 and passes through the pipe 47 that is connected to a shortflexible hose 18 (Fig, 1). This, hose iSis secured to an auxiliary condu'it39that is arranged in and securedto the actuating casing 50 of avisual indicating device 51 (Fig. 9).

- The indicator 51 comprises a casing 52 in which are arranged insuitable manner a series of rollers 53 and revolving onuthe rollers 53is an endless belt or tape 5 1 (preferably of steel) having apertures55' so constructed and7arranged that they on '53 has a small spur gear58 fittedtheretoto engage with the'ratchet pawls 59 that are fulcrumedat 60'to the arm 61 which in turn is fulcrumed to the casing 52 at thepoint '62. The lever 61 has a lower portion 63.

with apertures and at 65 I arrange the brace member that receives'thepin 60 and in 67 the latter pini' b'eing referred to later in thedescription the teeth of the spur wheel 58 by means of p At 67 the arm61 is connected to a piston rod 63 of the piston 69 which is retained inthe actuating oylinder '50. i p

In the practical use of the invention the In order to prevent retrograderotation of a the tape,- I retain thepawls 59 securelyin ioo tensionrail 10 is secured to the track along theleft hand rail and connected toa' signal by the cable 15 adjusted ina suitable manner so that when thesignal arm indicates clear the cable-pulls down the rail 10 level to thcrail 1 byniean's of leverl12 and lifts the weight 22 and holdsit to thatposition to, prevent contactwith lever 40 of valve 31 of thepassing-train. l/Ianifestl'y the tripl will be operated at every passageof the train thereover, and sa d trip is'r'e'turned to its normal(inoperative) 'position by means of the weight 7. The trip is only in adepressed position when a train passes thereover and at all other timesis in the'position 1 shown in Figure 1. The weight assists in not onlyreturning the trip to said position,

but, in maintaining it in said position,

When the signal arm is at stopthe cable" 15 is loose or slack to allowthe tension rail 10 to rise automatically to the required posi tion dueto the weight 22 falling. The trip 4 is held to its position by theweight 7 and said trip always makes contact with lever 40 of valve 31 toregister the passing of the signal on the indicator 51. Should thesignal be at stop the rail 10 as well as trip 4 will likewise beelevated and the contact of lever 40 of valve 31 with both trip 4 andrail 10, lifts the valve portion 36 permitting air to pass from thetrain pipe 32 through chamber 35 to chamber 34 and thence through hose48 and auxiliary pipe 49 to actuating cylinder 50 of the indicator 51which actuates piston 69 and ratchet 59 to rotate spur 58 to change nameplate of the indicator. When the signal is set at clear manifestly thetrip 4 will contact with roller 44 of lever 40 of valve 31 thatcommunicates with the well known signal pipe line. Said signal pipeline, for purposes of clearness, is that by which a conductor signals tothe engineman. The trip flashes a short audible signal to the enginemanand indicates to him that all is clear also it operates the station orposition indicating means. However, when the signal is set at stop therail 10 as well as trip 4is raised above the rail 1, which long rail 10prolongs the audible signal. It should be borne in mind that in order todistinguish between certain conditions that prevail different lengths orduration of audible signals must be employed and hence the provision ofthe trip 4 for short signals and rail 10 for long ones.

The audible signal referred to in this specification is the wellknown'whistle or air actuated signal by which the conductor by pullingthe train cord transmits signals to the engineer and thereforeillustration of this signal is deemed unnecessary.

The air valve is operated by every contact with the mechanism and ascontact with trip 4 (Fig. 4) would be short the added provision of rail10 with trip 4 in operation (Fig. 3) is to prolong the signal by keepingthe valve open a longer period of time. The said opening of the valvepermits air to escape from the main signal pipe reducing the pressure,which operates a whistle in the cab of the engine, and which is a partof the present and well known system of train signalling, and myinvention is an addition to said system of train signalling for thepurpose of connecting visual signals automatically. In the code ofsignals that Y are used by trainmen for difl'erent purposes, distinctionis made by the length of the blast or whistle, for instance 2 long and 2short blasts; 1 long, 2 short and 1 long; 1 long; 1 short, and hence theadvantages of this device will be apparent. The addition of this deviceto the signalling system will add materially to the safe operation of atrain.

Immediately after passing over ,trip 4 and rail 10 the lever 40 returnsto its normal position, the'spring 45 pressing portion 36 to its seatand opens port 70. The spring 71 pressing back the piston 69 to normalposition discharges air through port 70 and the device is ready for asubsequent oper ation.

I would distinctly have it understood that the device is intended foruse on all forms and styles of railway equipment either steam orelectric and the elements entering in to the invention may be of anysize and material and embrace any departure in construction as fairlyfalls within the scope of the claim.

li lanifestly the safety features of "my construction are readilyapparent to those skilled in the art and because'of the simple andpositive operation of the device is a material factor in railroadingirrespective of weather conditions.

Likewise the device may be readily and inexpensively installed andmaintained and comprises no delicate parts, such as are liable to getout of order after a short period of use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is In an automatic signal device, the combination of arailway track, a trip fulcrumed adjacent the inside of one rail thereofand normally resting above the rail, an auxiliary rail normally restingbelow the level of the track and movable upwardly and downwardly withrespect to the track and being arranged in the same plane as the tripand in advance thereof with respect to the direction of travel of atrain, a valve secured to the train for cont-rolling passage of air tothe main signal line of a train, a visual indicator arranged on thetrain. an arm secured to the valve and depending therefrom, and a signalarm arranged adjacent the track and connected with the auxiliary railfor elevating the same above the track to cause contact of the arm ofthe valve with the auxiliary rail to actuate said valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. MILLER. -Witnesses:

' L. M. CnANFoRD, J. W. COOKRELL'.

